Saturday, the Stewart C. Meyer Harker Heights Public Library provided a place for children and their families to use their creativity and have fun with several unique hands-on art activities, demonstrations, and a variety of performances.

The annual Youth Arts Festival helped to start the Week of the Young, a week-long event celebrating young children and recognizing the importance of early learning. April is also the Month of the Military Child, dedicated to bringing awareness to the importance of children in the military community.

“The whole day is just about different forms of art, sparking curiosity and creativity in children. Just to show them that art doesn’t have to be one thing, that it can be whatever you want it to be,” said Amanda Hairston, children’s librarian.

The Friends of the Library group, Child Development Department of Central Texas College, along with the Central Texas Association for the Education of Young Children helped to make this free event possible.

New to the area was the Player family. “We came out here to expose them to art and to be more involved in the community,” said mother, Katie Player.

The annual festival has different activities every year.  New additions to the festival were Lego robotics and architecture design with structural blocks.

“With legos, you put stuff together to build art.  You can basically make anything with legos,” said Ian Reid, library volunteer who helped children bring life to their creations by placing them onto the power station.

Other events included an adult and teen coloring nook, mess-free finger painting, making an aurora borealis, face painting, musical play, and crafts.

“My favorite thing is the face painting,” said Avery Player, 5, proudly wearing painted whiskers and a cat nose.

Other groups present were the Centroplex Woodcarvers, Tap Tap Art School Bus, and Project Linus.

“We teach kids and adults how to crochet. We want kids to know they can do it too… and that it’s for a good cause” said Killeen/Temple chapter coordinator for Project Linus, Sandra Rowell.

The performance lineup included Spotlight Dance Company, Haynes Elementary Choir, Vive les Arts Theater’s Camp Rock, and Hey Lolly Puppet Theatre.

Art donations from Union Grove Middle School and Harker Heights High School were exhibited and will remain on display for the month of April for children and library members to appreciate art and the talent in the local area.